We had a nice dinner at the restaurant we were docked at… Scales was the name of it… the chef and owner both came out after we docked and welcomed us saying “Welcome back… nice to see you guys again.” They remembered us from last fall when we were heading south and stayed at their dock for three days waiting out weather. It was nice that they remembered us. They also invited us back next time we pass through the area.

We departed fairly early at approximately 0710 hours. As we were leaving the inlet we ran along side a couple of tug rigs. There was a dredge working the Absecon Inlet and they were part of the work crew. After we got a few miles out in the Atlantic we heard them broadcasting on the VHF that they were closing the inlet until 1100 or 1200 as they were going to be laying a dredge pipe across the inlet and no boat traffic would be able to pass in or out until they were done. We made it out just in time… luck was with us.

We had the current with us heading out the inlet making 8 plus knots until we headed north outside the inlet then we slowed to about 7.2 – 7.8 knots… and we averaged that speed most of the day… we were hugging the coastline to stay in the calmest waters. The west wind forecast was for 5-10 knots and we had that most of the day. The seas were 1-2 feet and actually were an ocean swell coming from the southeast. The ride was smooth the entire day.

We encountered another dredging operation offshore from Surf City, NJ… had to alter our course offshore to pass through between the two jack stations… they actually hailed us on the VHF to let us know where it was safe to cross. Normally, you hail these guys and have a hard time getting any response.

The biggest issue we had today was the small recreational fishing boats. They were everywhere and always right in our path. I guess it was because we were hugging the coastline that we had to deal with so many of them. I actually got in a yelling battle with one of them. We’re 60 tons and I’m sure look fairly big to these small boats… the bait fish were working all over and one time there was a huge patch of bait working right in front of us. One of these small boats sees the bait working and comes zipping over and stops right in front of us… not more than 150 ahead of us and starts waving at us to move to port around him… they were casting into the bait. I had no choice but to move to port but this just does not happen instantly… after I saw I was clearing him as he did not move I went out the pilothouse door and yelled some appropriate phrases at him and we then exchanged a few more choice words and jesters. I just don’t understand how anyone in a 20 foot boat would pull in front of us and stop… LOL

We had planned to try and make it all the way to City Island, NY today but we just did not have the current with us strong enough to get the needed speed boost to make it in a timely manner. When we were maybe 15 miles from New York we started slowing way down… had a strong current on our nose and soon were doing 6 knots and in the Narrows going under the Verrazano Bridge we were doing less than 5 knots. With the current the way it was we would not do well in the East River and Hell Gate, so we opted to try a new spot we had never anchored before… The Liberty Island State Park Basin behind the Statue of Liberty. It was listed in all of our cruising guides and had good reviews so we gave it a try. It was almost dead low tide and there were a few shallow spots going in… never less than 7 feet but entering a new area and you see 7 feet when the chart says it should be 13 feet you get a little anxious but once in the basin itself there is plenty of water 10 to 15 feet. There were 4 other boats anchored already… Two sailboats, a trawler and a SeaRay / Carver type cruiser. The smaller sailboat was unoccupied and appeared like a derelict boat. The other three had people on board. Supposedly, a ferry runs in and out of the basin from 1000 to 1800 hours and you have to leave space for him to get in and out… the sailboats, the trawler and us are well out of the way on the north side of the basin… the other Searay/Carver type cruiser is on the south side of the basin and I am willing to bet he is going to be in the way of the ferry… maybe he is leaving early???

We anchored at approximately 2010 hours in 14 feet of water at approximately N40°41.737’, W074°03.767’. We traveled for 12 hours covering 89.99 nautical miles averaging 7.5 knots.

I took Beecha to the boat ramp docks at the west end of basin… the floating docks did not have an access ramp to the fixed dock so they were unusable. The fixed docks did have built-in slat ladders that I was able to use to get Beecha to land. After she did her business we headed over in the dinghy to check out the ferry landing docks. On the south side was a very nice floating dock… we’ll give it a try in the morning when we walk Beecha.

We will sleep in tomorrow morning as we have to wait for the correct current to head up the East River and Hell Gate to Long Island Sound… we need to be at the Battery at approximately 1100 hours… two hours after low tide at the battery heading north gives you a favorable current all the way through the East River, Hell Gate and Long Island Sound. Not sure where we will stop tomorrow night… just heading north or actually northeast.